German armed forces to build new command Cologne-Bonn possible location for new NATO headquarters
BRUSSELS · Could NATO react quickly enough to an attack from Russia? Internal government papers raise doubts. Now Germany is to build a new command - and the location could be in the Cologne-Bonn region.
In the wake of NATO building up its capabilities, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) is likely to build a new planning and command center for rapid troop and supply deployment.
According to information from the German Press Agency (dpa), the allies have agreed in principle to accept a related offer from German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (CDU). There are no other locations being considered for the headquarters. The official decision is due to be announced at a NATO defense ministers' meeting next week.
The location for the new planning and management center could become the Cologne-Bonn region, according to dpa. The Joint Support Service and the Armed Forces Office are already based there.
A special feature of the new headquarters in Germany is that it will not be integrated into the existing NATO command structure. This could make it possible to use the staff and skills also for national exercises and operations outside the NATO Alliance. According to figures from NATO circles, several hundred new posts could be created.
A second new headquarters will be built in the USA, according to dpa information. It is to secure the air and sea routes between North America and Europe across the Atlantic.
By strengthening its command and forces structure, NATO is responding to Russia's aggressive policy. With the detente policy, the structures had been enormously reduced in the past decades. Of the several dozen headquarters that once existed, only seven are left according to NATO information. The number of staff fell from well over 20,000 to well below 10,000.
Increases are needed because the existing structure is no longer considered sufficient for the current security situation. In a classified Nato report, military officials express doubts as to whether the alliance could respond adequately and swiftly to a surprise Russian attack. Above all, Eastern allies do not consider such a scenario completely out of the question after the events in Ukraine.
In order to deter Moscow, several thousand NATO soldiers have recently been stationed in the Baltic States and in Poland, and they should be able to receive reinforcements in case of emergency.
"We need a command structure that can ensure that the right troops are in the right place - with the right equipment and at the right time," said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. It’s the only way that a credible deterrence can be ensured in Europe. At the same time, he made it clear that the EU and the private sector also had to participate in the effort. The civil infrastructure - roads, rail networks and airports - had to meet military requirements, said the Norwegian Secretary General.
Orig. text: dpa
Translation: ck
